X-ray imaging is widely used in many areas including medial diagnostics and treatment, industrial inspection and testing, security screening and detections. In current x-ray imaging systems, an x-ray beam is generated and applied to a three-dimensional (3-D) object for projecting the object onto a two-dimensional (2-D) panel detector. The projection may be reconstructed into 2-D and 3-D images. Typically, noise is produced along the direction of the x-ray beam and results in reduced resolution of the object image. Noise can originate from the object to be imaged, an x-ray detector detecting the x-ray radiation, electronic circuits, and various other sources.
One exemplary x-ray imaging system is a computed tomography (CT) system. CT enables reconstruction of a 3-D image of an object by acquiring hundreds to thousands of 2-D projection images from different projection angles. In many current CT scanners, a single x-ray tube is mechanically rotated around an object for collecting multiple projection images required for reconstructing an image of the object. The process of mechanically rotating the x-ray tube limits the rate of data acquisition. Further, the control of such systems is complicated by the process of mechanically rotating the x-ray tube. Many current CT scanners acquire 2-D projection images from one viewing angle at a time. Thus, the speed of the CT scanner is limited.
X-ray systems that have improved object imaging speed include ultra-fast electron beam CT scanner systems and printed circuit board (PCB) inspection systems. In these systems, an electromagnetic field steers an electron beam to different positions on an x-ray target to produce a scanning x-ray beam. Such systems can be large, costly, and include a limited range of viewing angles. X-ray imaging systems that are smaller, less costly, and include a greater range of viewing angles are desirable.
Another desirable improvement for x-ray imaging systems is increased resolution of object images. Resolution can be improved by reducing noise contained in the x-ray data used for image generation. Noise reduction in x-ray data can also result in a reduction in the strength of x-ray radiation required for object imaging. A reduction in the strength of x-ray radiation can be beneficial for mammography and imaging of microelectronics, applications requiring minimized x-ray dosages.
Accordingly, in light of desired improvements associated with x-ray imaging systems, there exists a need for improved x-ray imaging system functionality and related methods.